This invention relates to a supporting mount for a magnetic head, and more particularly, to a mount which stabilizes the movement of a magnetic disk in a magnetic disk drive.
Magnetic recording and playback at high densities in digital computer systems requires that a constant spacing be maintained between the record medium and the magnetic read/write head. In this type of magnetic recording, the magnetic head is separated from the magnetic record medium by an air bearing which must be of a constant height to maintain the proper resolution of the writing and reading on the record medium. Flexible recording mediums, such as "floppy" disks, tend to flutter at high speeds. This, and other factors, change the spacing and stability between the record medium surface and the magnetic head.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,091-Wright, recognizes the problems and provides as a solution a toroidal stabilizer having the convexshaped surface in close proximity to the moving magnetic media. The magnetic head is positioned in the aperture of the toroid and substantially closes this center hole, thereby blocking airflow. Because of this, a negative pressure is maintained at the center of the toroid and this urges the record medium toward the magnetic head. Maintenance of the negative pressure at the center of the toroid is critical. If there is a leak which opens the center to ambient pressure, the stabilizing effect is degraded.
One object of the present invention is to provide a stabilizer which is not as critical in maintaining negative pressure at the center of the toroid.
It is another object of the present invention to provide improved coupling characteristics for wider ranges of pitch, roll, and penetration of the magnetic read/write head with respect to the record medium.
Another object of the present invention is to generate high coupling forces for the stabilization of relatively stiff (3 mil) magnetic media.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,330-Norton, et al. shows a magnetic disk drive in which a rotating flexible disk is stabilized on a Bernoulli plate on which it is rotated. It is an object of the present invention to provide a stabilizer for use in a disk drive using a Bernoulli plate against which the disk is rotated.